My Voice For Japan

Saturday, April 23, 2011

This is a transcript of speech made by Mr. Eisaku Sato, a former governor of Fukushima prefecture, at The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan press conference, April 18, 2011. The original speech was made in Japanese, but it was translated to English and I appreciated the work and its quality.

He shared his opinion about series of incidents in Fukushima nuclear plants, and his opinion of Japan'e future with energy.

(Transcript)

My name is Sato Eisaku, I was previously the governor of Fukushima prefecture.
This year marks the 40th anniversary since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was built.
For about half of that time - 18 years - I dealt as governor with all manner of problems arising from the nuclear plant.

I believe that this current disaster was one waiting to happen.
It was not at all beyond expectations. This was no "black swan" event.

Today I would like to explain why such a disaster could not be prevented.
I would also like to say what policies Japan ought to have down the road, as regards nuclear power generation.

I will be brief so as to be able to field as many questions from the floor as possible.

Let me say, however, that today I will only speak about the nuclear plant issue.
There are many other things I would like to share with you, but that would probably take at least 3 hours and a half.
For those of you who are interested, I have brought copies of my book, so you are most welcome to purchase and read later.

Let us get into the heart of the matter. Why do I believe this current disaster could have been averted?
My first reason is based on an accident which occurred last year, June of 2010. In fact this particular accident is nearly identical to that which has occurred in Fukushima Daiichi this last March.

It was on June 17, 2010 that the incident occurred.
For some reason, the electricity supply failed in the second reactor at Fukushima Daiichi, and the pumps stopped sending water into the reactor. As the cooling system stopped, the water within the reactor began to evaporate. As happened this time. There was a risk that, left unattended, the fuel rods would become exposed and collapse from heat, leading to the worst possible scenario.

According to Tepco, the emergency diesel generators started and operators were able to manually restart the pumps and cooling system.

Less than a year ago, Tepco had experienced a test run, unintended though, of what would happen during an electric blackout. This was a malfunction which should have led them to naturally worry about what could happen if the emergency diesel generators had also failed.

It was possible to learn even from this single experience and plan for a more secure, safer, electricity supply.
This is my first reason to say that this current disaster could have been averted.

The second reason is that Japan's nuclear power policy has for long underestimated the risk posed by earthquakes.

I will not go into detail, but specialists such as Ishibashi Katsuhiko - professor emeritus of Kobe University - have repeatedly warned that the earthquake-resistance standards were far too lax, considering recent advances in seismology.

The nuclear reactors automatically stopped during the earthquake on March 11. The power plant buildings themselves stood intact at least at the outset - leading some to say this is proof that Japanese plants are earthquake-resistant. But professor Ishibashi had warned over and over that when large earthquakes happen, all sorts of things can go wrong. These damages accumulate and snowball into an uncontrollable situation.

As we know, in the current disaster, the nuclear plants lost their supply of electricity altogether. This resulted in hydrogen explosions which made it exceedingly difficult to contain and control the situation. To point out that the plants withstood the initial shock of the earthquake is cold comfort.

Five years ago, Professor Ishibashi acted as a member of a government committee to revise the earthquake-resistance standards of nuclear plants in Japan. He soon learned that, although the government talked of implementing "stricter standards", they were not to be set so high as to stop the operations of existing plants. He quit the committee in an act of protest.

In other words, those responsible had brushed off the many real risks posed by earthquakes, particularly large ones. Furthermore, Tepco had been given a chance to learn about the terror which could follow when electricity supply fails in the accident last June.

Just considering these two facts leads me to say that the Fukushima Daiichi disaster could have been prevented. Simply transferring the emergency generators to a place safe from Tsunami's way would have been enough to stop all this.

Why, then, have the government and utilities not adequately prepared against these risks?

Simply put, they had not taken measures on the premise that "things might not be safe".

If one wants to take advantage of such a horrendously dangerous thing as nuclear power, it is only natural to prepare to the fullest for every possible risk.
But even to indicate that there might be risks was made a taboo. Such was the prevailing tendency.

Japan's nuclear energy policy followed from a different set of premises. Their logic was as follows:
Nuclear power generation is absolutely necessary.
So nuclear power generation must be seen as being absolutely safe.

Everybody criticizes Tepco as having covered up many faults.
The question is whether things would improve by replacing all the company's top managers.

There are also others who say that the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency should not be under the control of METI (Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry). The agency should be made autonomous. But will the situation improve by splitting apart the agency?

In my view, those will improve nothing.

Consider this: many malfunctions and cracks had been found in the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini reactors in the past. But records of these inspections were falsified and made as if they never occurred.
That cover-up was made public in August of 2002.
At the time, Tepco's then president and chairman, vice president in charge, and two former presidents, then advisors - these 5 individuals resigned to take responsibility.

One of these advisors was former chairman of the Keidanren, a giant in Japan's business world. If you say they should replace the management, Tepco has already done something of the sort. And yet today's disaster has occurred.

"Japan absolutely needs nuclear power to supply electricity for its economy.
If Japan stores too much plutonium, generated from burning nuclear fuel, there would be concern from abroad. Japan must therefore re-cycle its nuclear fuel."
In other words, there is this inflexible mindset of one absolute following another, carried onto its extreme consequences.
Those who say that nuclear power is dangerous, like myself, are then treated as state enemies.

This is a truly terrifying logic, is it not? Whoever it maybe, be it a Diet member or governor, no one has been able to fight such logic thus far.

When an absolute logic which brooks no criticism is created, attempts to reasonably measure and deal with risk are crushed.

Even worse, a delusion emerges where people believe it is something like a cause, a righteous thing to hide facts and pretend as if nothing is wrong. Because promoting nuclear power is for the interest of the nation as a whole.

In such a situation, however much data is provided or how often we are reassured about safety, we will not feel safe. For the feeling of safety is not a science.
Feeling safe is all about trust - am I not right?
If the public cannot trust those responsible for the power plants, there is no sense of safety.

I am not saying that we must stop all existing power plants.
But now that public trust in nuclear power has been reduced to rubble, it is not possible to continue nuclear energy policy as before.

I would like to end by stating how I believe nuclear power policy should be changed for the future.

There is an organization called the Nuclear Safety Commission which determines the framework of how nuclear power plants operate.
Their powers, as written on paper, are considerable.
But in fact, the committee does little serious work and is essentially an empty shell.
The first step is to make the committee a completely independent organization and committee members directly elected by the public.
In that case I am happy to offer myself as a candidate for the committee.

When nuclear power plant policy is made in Germany and France, years and years of debate takes place. In every stage of the process, there are measures to reflect the public will.

The government and utilities are likely to respond by saying that Japan's economy can't wait for such a slow process. This is precisely the kind of attitude - "nuclear energy is absolutely necessary and so nuclear plants are absolutely safe" - which leads to this nuclear absolutism which I have pointed out today.

What is needed now is to create a sense of safety based on trust. A sense of safety not based on simply data and sheets of paper, but built up after a long and thorough process engaging all possible methods with the public.

This is a test for Japanese democracy.
We must make a flawless framework for operating Japan's nuclear power plants, one that the people of the world can feel safe about. If not - and I say this emphatically - foreigners and foreign money will no longer come to Japan. Japan will destroy its own economy only to save its current nuclear power plants.

I ask: is this the way to show our respect to the thousands who died in the Tsunami, tens and hundreds of thousands who have lost their homes? Those engaged in nuclear power policy should keep this question close to their hearts.

Monday, April 18, 2011

This is a blog entry by a Japanese nurse who joined emergency response team at shelters in damaged area, due to a series of earthquake and tsunami hit Eastern Japan, on March 11, 2011. Originally, these entries were written in Japanese, and spoken widely in Japanese. I decided to translate and summarize her notes in English, so that more people can understand what is actually going on in Japan.

I was expecting I might be able to have some rest tonight, but there were several people with fever or stomach pain. So we were going to sleep in medical vehicle, taking a turn.
It was better to sleep together with people in gym, but I needed to be responsible.

It seemed very bright toward driver's seat, so I went to see.
There was a huge moon and its light!!
Was it just tonight?
Or was something going on?

If it was so bright every night, people here wouldn't be so scared.
Lots of people came out to see this moonlight from inside gym, and they were smiling.

May everybody in damaged area be blessed with smiles and happiness.

May no more sadness be brought in here any more.

I was expecting the arrival of medical supplies by over night delivery.
Thanks to all of people who packaged, and truck drivers.

I will be helping out people who are moving to temporary housings in other prefectures.

Today, I talked to an old lady and she said it would be very difficult to leave here after living in Takata for 90years. There was Marine and Seashell Museum in her neighborhood, so she liked watching visitors' smile everyday.
She and her husband were poor after World War II, but built a house, bought a ship to fish, and were talking about live cozily with grandkids after they retire.
And this disaster took everything away.

She said, "If we could build this up again like before, but we are not young," crying and her teas did not stop.
It broke my heart to think of leaving own hometown.
Even though it is temporary move, it would be very stressful to senior people to move out and leave Takata.
However, people waiting there have warm heart, warm place, and meal. It is just a while!

This is a blog entry by a Japanese nurse who joined emergency response team at shelters in damaged area, due to a series of earthquake and tsunami hit Eastern Japan, on March 11, 2011. Originally, these entries were written in Japanese, and spoken widely in Japanese. I decided to translate and summarize her notes in English, so that more people can understand what is actually going on in Japan.

It was noisy and alive in school field from the morning.
I could see trucks were coming in more and more.
They were bringing the material for temporary housings.
I did high-five with scary-looking-but-warm-heart truck drivers.

It was a great and happy news, even though there was a waiting list. It was a better news than yesterday.

There were also emergency vehicles from DOCOMO and au, to recover cell phone signals. There were more people who could get in touch with their family members.
So I did another high-five with DOCOMO staff.

I was getting used to my sticky hear and no make-up and dirty face. We all cheered ourselves up, washing off faces with oolong tea from bottles.
I hoped for water.

Then I found more better news.

It was warm. It was spring sunlight.
Please don't get cold any more.

And the express busses resumed operation between Morioka and Rikuzen Takata, for twice a day!

There was another good news!

An old lady, we sent to emergency care from our shelter, recovered and came back here.
We said, "Welcome back!!"
She said, "I'm home."

It was like a home.

Our uniform had a print "NURSE/看護師", and we though it might be hard to read in English and Chinese character for kids and seniors.
So we used duct tape to write "Kangoshi (nurse)" in katakana.
My tape fell off, while working and sleeping in it, and it was now saying "Kangon".
So all of kids and people called me "Kangon-san", or later, "Gon-chan!", but made me happy.

I had gone to the town next to us yesterday, and called my friend, asking "Please inform people that small community centers are not receiving food and supplies."
Today, the shelter received the food and supplies in the late afternoon, finally.

A man fron Self Defense Military said, "There were calls to Akita to Kyusyu that you don't have enough supplies in here. It is a small shelter, but all of the nation heard you."
It was a relay of life.

I deeply appreciate everybody who paid attention to us, and cooperate.

A baby who had diaper rush and her butt was red like a monky, received more diapers and cream.
There were food like "Miso nigiri", Yakurt, and "Nice stick" from Yamazaki Pan.
From now toward midnight, more medication, IV, and aspirators were supposed to be delivered from Tokyo's hospitals.

My stay was extended from ending on 21st to 23rd of March.

We were preparing to send admitted patients to hospitals in other prefectures. It was beyond proper medical care in here.
Patients might get worried about moving, and their families might not be able to visit so often. However, these patients need proper treatment right now.

In the meeting today, we found there was a survivor after 9 days, in Kesennuma.
We were all happy about this news, but on the other hand, it was still true that lots of senior people were dying in shelters after they surveved from tsunami and earthquake.

We used to want save life as many as possible, but now, we want to save everybody's life.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

This is a blog entry by a Japanese nurse who joined emergency response team at shelters in damaged area, due to a series of earthquake and tsunami hit Eastern Japan, on March 11, 2011. Originally, these entries were written in Japanese, and spoken widely in Japanese. I decided to translate and summarize her notes in English, so that more people can understand what is actually going on in Japan.

In those 3 days, I made a friend with a little cute girl at gym I slept.
Her name is "Runa-chan (Little Runa)", who was a very friendly 6 year old girl, and following me around.
She did not like wearing a mask, so I drew a Hello Kitty on her mask, and she liked it.

In a night, at schoo gym, it was very cold so we rely on a thin blanket and human skin for the heat. My team was made up with lots of male members, so I was fighting with draft coming in alone.

Without electricity, the gym was like cave.
It was a total darkness and coldness with heaters turned off.
And still frequent aftershocks.

If you were alone, how scary and helpless this could be.
Because a lot of evacuees gathered up here, we all can wait for the morning in such darkness, strongly.

In the dark gym, I could still hear somebody sobbing while others were breathing queitly.

They must be scared.
They might not have been able to find family members or friends.
It does not end to imagine.

I was just here for one week, but for these people in shelter, it seemed like an endless tunnel, thinking how long this is going to last.

I could not sleep because of the coldness, but I was trying to convince myself to fall asleep so that I would have energy during the day.
At that moment, Runa-chan came up to me with her blanket and said "One-chan! (Big Sister)" And she laid next to me.
I asked her "You can't sleep too?" and she nodded. So I held her tightly and she was very warm.

She asked me, "Do you have somebody you like?" and I said "Yes!"
Runa-chan said, "How is he like?"
So I answered, "He is a beared man."
She asked me again, "Is he Santa Clause?"
I thought she was very cute and rubbed her head, saying "Yeah, he is like Santa Clause."
She asked me again, smiling, "Do you think Santa Clause will come back again in the winter?"
I said, "You are a good girl, so I am sure he will be back!", wanting to see her smile again.
But she asked me, "I lost my home. So could you tell him not to take my present back because I don't have a home?"
I felt sorry and held her tight again.

I asked her back, "Runa-chan, what do you want?"
She said, "I want my home and mom back."

I had always thought the lady with her was Runa-chan's mother, but I found out she was her aunt.
Her mother became a victim of tsunami, and was found dead under the debris, leaving Runa-chan behind.
Runa-chan was safe at her kindergarten, but her mother died, holding Runa-chan's backpack with favorite doll and books.

I thought Runa-chan must be missing her mom, and she wanted to sleep next to me.

The day we left the shelter, to go to another one, Runa-chan was crying.
She just experienced desperate separation with her mother, and her pain hasn't been healed, and she now had to go through another separation.

I wanted to promise to write to her, but she doesn't have address.
So I promised to come to visit her again, and left the gym.

I hope she becomes a strong and caring woman, not forgetting of this earthquake.
I wish for her future that is bright and filled with happiness.

A promise with my nurse leader not to cry was easily broken, and cried all way in the car, looking at Runa-chan waving to me.
I just didn't know where to send this frustration and anger, and headed to another hospital and medical facility.

I was also wondering why I am here, after I made Runa-chan cry, despite of my purpose to cheer up people and bring smile in here.

This is a blog entry by a Japanese nurse who joined emergency response team at shelters in damaged area. Originally, these entries were written in Japanese, and spoken widely in Japanese. I decided to translate and summarize her notes in English, so that more people can understand what is actually going on in Japan.

She is a nurse who works in Tokyo, and her hospital formed emergency medical response team after series of massive earthquake and tsunami hit Eastern Japan on March 11, 2011.
You can find the previous entry in here: A Nurse's Note vol.5 "Lost Life, New Life"
(Translation)

In the night of March 18, 2011

We got the electricity back in our shelter, school gym, with time restraint!
We were all so happy, and clapped hands and cried together.
Because everybody in Japan saved power for us, so the power in damaged area were recovered earlier than as planned.
It was very great moment, and felt we were all united and supported.

The day I arrived, it was snowing, and people here said, "There must be no God or Buddha in this world."
However, now I can proudly say there are lots of live people who have warm heart in this world.
I know this is just the beginning, and will be harder. So I hope everybody's warm heart will be shared in the nation.

Back in the afternoon

A siren rang at 14:46 today, and we all prayed with silence.
I looked at evacuees' tear and felt a week went so fast.

After one week, I felt people need more mental support now.

As we have more emergency patients or patients who need to be admitted, the fuel for emergency vehicles is running out, hospitals are full, medical supplies are running out and so on.
Everytime we face new problems, we felt hopeless.
But still need to stand strongly in this situation.

We did not only treated emergency patients, but also supported other nurses from this area, so that they could rest.
Measuring blood pressure, consultation with patients, checking on admitted patients.
The elevator in building had been stopped, so we went up stairs to carry meals in 5-story hospital.
If we have any spare time, make a fire to boil water.
24 hours was definitely not enough time for this.

In 2 hours of sleep, I was still thinking what I can use this time more effectively, and writing this down was the best I could come up with.

With a light is ligten up, I could see the bonding and united with people in the nation.
A bulb seemed very warm.

Our hard work became apparent like this, and made me feel like working harder.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

This is a blog entry by a Japanese nurse who joined emergency response team at shelters in damaged area. Originally, these entries were written in Japanese, and spoken widely in Japanese. I decided to translate and summarize her notes in English, so that more people can understand what is actually going on in Japan.

She is a nurse who works in Tokyo, and her hospital formed emergency medical response team after series of massive earthquake and tsunami hit Eastern Japan on March 11, 2011.
You can find the previous entry in here: A Nurse's Note vol.4 "Childres and Seniors".

(Translation)

March 18, 2011

We were headed to a hospital where accepting emergency patients.

Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, X-ray technicians, lab technicians, nutritionists, assistant nurses, they have been all working without rest since the initial earthquake on 11th. They don't even know if their own family members were safe or not, at their own limit mentality.

And we were going to support them so that they could have some rest.

The place and the equipment are different, but medical care is the same anywhere.
I was believing so, trying to stay strong, and telling myself "medical care for as many as possible", while looking at over 1,000 patients who were making a line to be seen.
I was sent to emergency care team, where patitnes haven't been able to take medications for heart attack and stroke. Blood transfusion was not available for those who needed the routine care. The situation was very severe without medical devices.
As a medical staff, it is just undescribable to lose people's life due to such causes, after surviving the earthquakes.
In Tokyo, IV is in our reach, medications are in the shelf --- and even lights are there without doubt.
In here, even though we have emergency generators for the electricity, it is always a matter of time. We have to send emergency patients who need surgery by helicopters.

As I take patients' blood, it is always dark color and thick.
I ask, "Have you been eating and drinking ok?", and they say "I cannot just eat and drink as everybody is suffering. It's just a riceball and tea in mornings and evenings." powerlessly.

We didn't have enough IV either....
We kept giving IV and put them on the hard floor. Keep eye on them, and finish IV. It's so much work to just keep track of who is doing what IV and when to finish.

And then, we started accepting paramedics.
When I realized I had not been smiling again, there was a call for a pregnant woman in labor. She was about the same age as me.
I supported to receive a baby and prepared IV since I am not a licensed midwife.
As I started her IV, she said "I'm very sorry when you have a lot of severe patients..."
I cheered her "You are kidding! Everybody in Takata and Japan is waiting for your baby!!"
This baby is a hope for tomorrow.

When the baby was born, I felt like the dark delivery room was lighten up. We prepared a hot water on propane gas stove, and wrapped the baby with a towel sent as donation.

The mother was crying and said, "I wish I could have shown her to grandma and grandpa. They were really excited..."
But I was sure that they were looking at us and praying for the baby somewhere because the delivery was so smooth.
A whole emergency team gathered up, and the nervousness in the team disappeared after they saw the baby, and we were all smiling.

There will be more severe and difficult situations from now on, but I believe there will be happy and fun things more to make it up or more.
We all prayed that Takata City will get recovered and filled by everybody's smiles, when this baby grows up.

On the raido, we still hear the news of death counts everyday.
However, we have new lives coming in to this world.

They are equally important and fragile.
I realized that again.

I will keep smiling tomorrow, and find something happy, happier than today.

A couple watch the site where coffins of victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami were buried in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Sunday, April 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Yomiuri Shimbun, Naoki Maeda) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT «

Monday, April 4, 2011

This is a blog entry by a Japanese nurse who joined emergency response team at shelters in damaged area. Originally, these entries were written in Japanese, and spoken widely in Japanese. I decided to translate and summarize her notes in English, so that more people can understand what is actually going on in Japan.

She is a nurse who works in Tokyo, and her hospital formed emergency medical response team after series of massive earthquake and tsunami hit Eastern Japan on March 11, 2011.
You can find the previous entry in here: A Nurse's Note vol.3 "The Red Flag".

(Translation)

March 17, 2011

We were headed to support a shelter where opened as medical center partially and accept emergency patients.
The beds were already full, and there were countless number of people who need to be seen by medical care people. Medicines and medical supplies were definitely short.

At triage, a large number of toddlers came in with high fever with 39 °C (102.2°F).
I had a bad feeling ---- and I was right, flu.

We brought Relenza and Tamiflu, but it's not enough, so prescribed acetaminophen for lighter symptoms for the fever.
Children and senior people were affected because of weaker immune system, and especially in this situation, it was very possible to spread in a lot of people.
I was being very anxious it wouldn't happen.

We got dispatch from our team members in other location that they wanted to send seniors who were having diarrhea and dehydration. They were eating uncooked rice because of scarcity in supply, and were getting infection in digestive system.

On the radio, I heard news that there were a lot of supplies and aids coming from all over the places, but small shelters did not receive them or not transported because of gasoline shortage.

I also drank snow-melt water and had upset stomach, but I tried to be smiling in front of people, be strong.
I had only 2 and a half hours of break today, and planned to work until the next morning. But everybody was in harder condition, so I could do it.

All of the seniors transported were dehydrated and had hypothermia.
Our IV supply was about to run out. We only had a few more boxes of needles.
There was a patient in a shock with low blood pressure due to stomach ulcer from stress.
"Endoscopy and blood transfusion, right away!", a doctor yelled, and told himself, "oh, that's right, we don't have anything here..."
So all we could do was to give IV to keep blood level, and send these patients by air to Moriaoka city where these treatments are available.
Our team felt sorry for not able to give the best treatments here, seeing off each helicopter.
I hoped we can tell another team in Ishimaki city for medical devices, but it might be the same situation there too.

More and more people were searching for their missing family members. An old man who was looking for his wife did not rest.

It was unimaginable situation and severity, but I heard of good news such as express buses resumed the operation, and bullet train resumed the operation partially.